The Crumbling Iran Deal Could Make Russia Rich (Op-ed)
Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran deal is a huge win for Russian oil.
May 15 2018 - 15:05/The Moscow Times
U.S. President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran deal and his decision to reinstate sanctions on Tehran has been met with strong international criticism, including from Russia. But for Moscow, the U.S. president's decision also presents it with a rare economic opportunity.
Moscow’s support for Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) not only opens the door for communication and cooperation with the West, it gives the Kremlin international credibility in its elusive quest for international stature.
The U.S. exit from the Iran deal affords Putin a lot more than being “on the right side of history.” There is now a striking opportunity for Russia to bolster its strategic interests within the Iranian energy sphere.
The U.S. exit from JCPA affords the Kremlin the ability to fill the supply demands of those nations who will be forced to turn away from Iranian oil. This also gives Putin a free pass to cement a deeper Russian stake in Iran’s trajectory.
In the short term, the Kremlin will gain a foothold in Iran’s energy sphere, which is a future linchpin for international energy flows. In the long term, this will ultimately ensure Russia greater access to and control of, the global oil and gas network. Putin will seize this opportunity to bolster, perhaps even legitimize, Russia's Middle East presence and further isolate Trump.
https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/the-collapsing-iran-deal-could-make-russia-rich-opinion-61452
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